22 College Green, Belfast

22 College Green, Belfast

A three-storey red brick terraced house built between 1866 and 1878, facing south on College Green to the northeast of the main quadrangle at Queens University, Belfast. It forms part of a longer Victorian terrace (Nos. 2–26 inclusive) that overlooks the Theological College of the Presbyterian Church within the Queens Conservation Area. The house now serves as part of the University's School of Social Science, Education and Social Work, with Nos. 12–24 (excluding No. 16, which is missing) internally connected through two-storey gabled extensions added around 2004 in place of the original returns. It holds group value with the adjoining houses at Nos. 18 and 20 College Green.

The roof is natural slate with a duo-pitched design and black clay ridge tiles. A single red brick chimney, rectangular on plan with corbelled brick copings and several octagonal yellow clay pots, is centred on the ridge and shared with No. 20. The rainwater goods comprise cast metal replacement elements: an ogee gutter to the south, half-round gutter to the north, and circular rainwater pipes.

The walls are constructed of red brick in Flemish bond on the south elevation, with painted masonry dressings, and English Garden Wall bond on the north, which has been largely rebuilt in salvaged red brick. Windows throughout are single-glazed timber-framed sliding sash: those on the south elevation have 1/1 panes, while those on the north have 2/2 panes (the latter being replacements).

The south elevation is the principal façade and is asymmetrical in composition. The entrance is positioned to the right (east), with a single-storey canted bay to the left at ground floor. Two segmental arched windows occupy both the first and second floors, diminishing in height. The entire ground floor is rendered with smooth finish and painted, terminating in a square-edged string course that runs between the first-floor window cills. A deep plinth to the ground floor features a moulded top, painted in contrasting colour.

The entrance comprises a timber-framed four-panelled replacement door with a rounded central bead to resemble double doors, topped by stained and leaded glass, set within a projecting door case. Stop-chamfered reveals appear on the head and jambs of all ground floor openings and to the outer edge of the door case. A cornice hood above the door is embellished with waterleaf and dart moulding, though this detail is partially obscured by accumulated paint layers. The first-floor windows have moulded surrounds topped by ornamental decoration. Second-floor windows feature the same surrounds, with corbel brackets positioned below the projecting cills.

Heavy overhanging eaves are supported on corbelled yellow brick special units alternating with three courses of angled yellow brick. The west and east elevations are abutted by Nos. 20 and 24 College Green respectively, with the original return removed on both sides.

The north (rear) elevation was entirely rebuilt following the removal of the original return around 2004. It contains a modern glazed door to the left and a window to the right at ground floor level, with two windows to each of the first and second floors, diminishing in height and aligned with ground floor openings. Openings feature soldier-coursed headers on galvanised steel lintels, and single-course corbelled brick eaves in header bond. Stone cills are painted.

College Green runs between Botanic Avenue to the west and Rugby Road to the east. The property boundary to the south is defined by a concrete dwarf wall and modern metal railings, matching adjacent properties. A small front garden is surfaced in reconstituted stone pavers, ramped alongside the bay window to connect to No. 20, with two steps leading to the front entrance at No. 22. The rear yard is enclosed by a replacement red brick wall with brick-on-edge coping matching the gabled extensions at adjoining properties, containing flush timber double doors that exit onto College Green Mews. A shared courtyard behind this wall provides amenity space for Nos. 20–24, featuring ramped paths to the ground floor entrance with red brick retaining walls topped by modern metal handrails and uprights, painted.